Explosive charge and apparatus for the manufacture of the same



Dec. 14, 1937. W R 2,102,245

EXPLOSIVE CHARGE AND APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF THE SAME.

Filed May 26, 1954 2 Sheets-Shae!- l Egl INVENTOR- GuILLmLME WEBER HTTOKNEY cs. WEBER 2,102,245

EXPLOSIVE CHARGE AND APPARATUS FOR THE'MANUFACTURE OF THE SAME Dec. 14, 1937.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 26, 1934 IIV-VENTORZ Gummumz Wzsm 1 Patented Dec. 14,1931

EXPLOSIVE CHARGE AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURE OF THE SAME or to Les Petits Guillaume Weber, Hayange, Moselle, l rance, as- Fils de Francois de Wendel & Oie, Paris, France Application May 26, 1934, Serial No. 727,635

InFranceJune 17, 1933 Claims.

. An explosive system is already known which consists of a certain quantity pf water or of substances impregnated with water, and of a priming cartridge adapted to supply the heat necessary to cause the practically instant vaporization of the water. V

' On the other hand, a safety explosive is in use, which consists of solid carbon dioxide and a heating device, for example, a priming cartridge of any usual type, provided with a firing device, and the'heat supplied by this cartridge causes the sublimation of the carbon dioxide.

The present invention has for its object an explosive which is chiefly characterized by the fact that it comprises a mixture of water snow and of carbon'dioxide snow and aheating device adapted to vaporize said mixture.

Experience has shown that by utilizing together water in the form of snow, and carbon dioxide in the form of snow, it is possible to obtain efiects which exceed those which have been obtained separately with the explosives above mentioned, due to the fact'that the hot gases of the priming cartridge will penetrate cause the instant vaporization and sublimationof the water snow and the carbon dioxide snow.

By the use of the combined cartridge containing water snowand carbon dioxide snow, the

30 efiec't of the explosion lasts during a longer period of time, as the carbon dioxide is first sublimed, and the water snow is then vaporized.

The effect of dislocation of ground is thus considerably increased.

On the other.hand, all separate containers adapted to serve as a support for the water are eliminated, which results ina reduction of weight of the cartridge for a given force.

The water snow is preserved better according to as the proportion of carbon dioxide snow, due

to its temperature of -79 C., is greater. 'Ihe proportion of water snow may vary, for instance, between 20 and 40%. As the carbon dioxide snow is sublimed before the water snow melts, the proportion of water snow increases gradually between the loading and the firing, and reaches about 50% at the time of firing.

Good results are already obtained with a proportion of water snow of to 5 Obviously, instead of water, other substances which melt or vaporize at a temperature higher, for example, than the temperature of -'79 C. and which may produce a great volume of gas .5 when heated at the time of the explosion, may

more readily throughout-the whole mass and will (Cl. 102--5) I be utilized in the state of snow, in combination with the carbon dioxide snow.

The priming chargemay consist of an explosive based upon liquid oxygen, or of any explosive,-comprising the safety explosives. When 5 provided with a safety explosive as the priming charge, the explosive system, water snow and carbon dioxide snow, may be proposed for coal mines containing fire damp and dust, and for potash mines containing fire damp.

In the accompanying drawings, which are given solely by way of example:

Figs. 1 to 3 represent, in longitudinal section, various methods of utilization of the explosive according to the invention.

Fig. 4 shows a diagrammatic vertical section of. an installation adapted to be utilized for the manufacture of a mixture of water snow and carbon dioxide snow. v

Fig. 5 .is a partial section of the jector.

The priming charge 22 witha detonator 23 is placed, at will, in front (Fig. 1), in the rear (Fig.

2) or at the middle (Fig. 3) of the charge of snow 25 and 25'. This latter is introduced into 25 the mine chamber or hole 2|, provided with a permeable casing 21, or more simply, without any protection, with resulting economy.

The packing 26 is carried out in the usual manner, and the firing is done by meansof a 30 cord or by electric conductorsi l.

In order to obtain a mixture of water snow and carbon dioxide snow, the water snow may be produced at the same time as the carbon dioxide snow, by introducing into the receptacle or expansion chamber of the carbon dioxide, water in a finely divided state, in the form of vapour o r mist.

In the example shown inFigs. 4 and 5, the liquid carbon dioxide contained in the cylinders I, such as are-currently found in commerce, circulate through valves 2 and,tubes 3 and expansion nozzles i, into an expansion chamber 5 contained in a receptacle 6. In order to facilitate the formation of carbon dioxide snow by means of the expansion nozzles 4, the expansion chamber 5 is preferably surrounded by an envelope of wool l. The receptacles 5 and 6 are provided with covers 8 and 9.

The installation further comprises a receptacle .0 containing water. This receptacle I0 is connectedwith a cylinder H containing carbon dioxide by a tube l2, provided with a valve l3. The water receptacle l0 carries at its upper part a pressure-gauge i4 adapted for the observation water inof the pressure 01' the carbon dioxide gas at the admission end of a tube l5 which is provided at the bottom with a sprayer I6 delivering into the expansion chamber 5. The water is supplied to the sprayer by a small tube I! (Figures 4 and 5). The output of the water is greater or less according to the diameter of the orifice of the sprayer l5, which diameter may vary from a few tenths of a millimetre to a millimetre. Use is made, preferably, of carbon dioxide gas under pressure for spraying the water in order to be able, if necessary, to recover the carbon dioxide which is not solidified during the expansion, for further use, after passing through a gas-holder l8 into which it is circulated through the pipe 19 and from which it is again compressed in cylinders in view of another expansion. By this means, it is possible to reduce the loss of CO: to a minimum.

The covers 8 and 9 of the receptacle 5 and of the expansion chamber 5 permit the removal of the mixture of water snow and of carbon dioxide snow.

Obviously, the invention is'not limited to the proportions, products and method of execution, described and represented, which are chosen solely by way of example.

. Having now described my invention what I claim as new and .desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Ablasting charge comprising in combination amixture of water in the form of snow and of carbon dioxide in the form of snow, and a heating element adjacent said mixture and adapted to produce the heat necessary to cause the instant vaporization of said mixture.

2. A blasting charge comprising in combination a mixture of carbon dioxide in the form of snow and of another substance in the formof snow adapted to be vaporized at a temperature higher than the temperature at which said carbon di-l oxide is sublimated, and a heating element adjacent said mixture and adapted to produce the heat necessary to cause the instant vaporization of said mixture.

3. A blasting carx'idge comprising in combination an envelope rmeable to gas, in said ensnow and of another substance in the form of snow adapted to be vaporized at a temperature higher than the temperature at which said carbon dioxide is sublimated, and a heating element adjacent said mixture and adapted to produce the 1 heat necessary to cause the instant vaporization of said mixture.

4. A blasting charge comprising in combination a mixture of water in the form of snow and of another substance in the form of snow adapted Z velope a mixture of carbon dioxide in the form of said expansion chamber and said container, 9.

nozzle at the end-of said communicating means situated in said expansion chamber, whereby liquid carbon dioxide is adapted to be introduced in a finely divided state from said container into said chamber, a receptacle adapted to contain gaseous carbon dioxide under pressure, conduit means between said receptacle and said expansion chamber, injecting means at the end of said conduit means situated insaid expansion chamber, water supplying means, and guiding means between said water supplying means and said injecting means adapted to bring waterfrom said supplying means into said injecting means, whereby said water is adapted to be introduced in a finely divided state by said gaseous carbon dioxide into said expansion chamber.

GUILLAUME WEBER. 

